American Booksellers Association
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The American Booksellers Association (ABA) is a non-profit trade association founded in 1900 that promotes independent bookstores in the United States. ABA’s core members are key participants in their communities' local economy and culture, and to assist them ABA creates relevant programs; provides education, information, business products, and services; and engages in public policy and industry advocacy. The Association actively supports and defends free speech and the First Amendment rights of all Americans through the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression. A volunteer board of 10 booksellers governs the Association. ABA is headquartered in White Plains, NY.[1]
Membership
The ABA's membership has varied over time:
- 1991 - 5200 members[2]
- 1995 - 5500 members with 7000 stores[3]
- 1998 - 3300 members[2]
- 2000 - 3100 members with 4000 stores[3]
- 2001 - 2794 members[4]
- 2002 - 2191 members[4]
- 2005 - 1702 members,[5] "more than 90" member bookstores opened[6]
- 2006 - 97 member bookstores opened[6]
- 2007 - 115 member bookstores opened[7]
- 2008 - ABA published no data
- 2009 - 1401 members[8] with 1651 stores,[9] 40 member bookstores opened,[10] 15 of which were listed by Google, Yelp, or Facebook as "Permanently closed" in early 2016. Another 9 did not maintain a website or show any visible activity in early 2016.
- 2010 - 1410 members, first increase in almost two decades.[8] 26 member bookstores opened,[11] 12 of which no longer maintained a website in 2015.
- 2011 - 1512 members with stores in 1823 locations,[12] 41 member bookstores opened,[13] Used bookstores are now eligible for membership, annual dues of smaller stores are lowered.[14]
- 2012 - 1567 members with stores in 1900 locations,[15] 43 member bookstores opened.[16]
- 2013 - 1632 members with stores in 1971 locations,[17] 45 member bookstores opened.[18]
- 2014 - 1664 members with stores in 2094 locations,[9] 59 member bookstores opened[19]
- 2015 - 1712 members with stores in 2227 locations,[9] 61 member bookstores opened[20]
The ABA sponsored the Book Sense marketing program and associated BookSense.com web site, intended to preserve a connection between consumers and local independent bookstores. In June 2008, Book Sense was replaced by IndieBound, a new program and website.[21]
See also
- List of independent bookstores
- Murder at the ABA, a novel by Isaac Asimov
- List of booksellers associations
References
- ↑ Dugan, I. Jeanne (1998-06-29), "The Baron of Books", Business Week
- 1 2 Singer, Penny (1999-01-17), "Independent Bookstores Harvest Their Zeal", New York Times
- 1 2 Kawaguchi, Karen (2000-07-24), "Feminist Feast And Famine", Publishers Weekly
- 1 2 Mutter, John (2002-05-05), "BEA Show Daily: ABA Loses Members, Money", Publishers Weekly, archived from the original on December 20, 2013
- ↑ Spearie, Steven (2008-08-14), "A novel approach to selling books", Norwich Bulletin
- 1 2 "A Plethora of New Independent Bookstores Open in 2006" (Press Release), American Booksellers Association, January 8th, 2007.
- ↑ "115 New Independent Bookstores Open in 2007", American Booksellers Association, January 14th, 2008.
- 1 2 Hillel Italie, "Independent Bookstores Get A Boost: American Booksellers Association Membership Up Since Last Year", Huffington Post, May 21, 2010.
- 1 2 3 Hillel Italie, "Independent booksellers continue to add new stores", retrieved August 16, 2015.
- ↑ "40 ABA Member Stores Open in 2009", American Booksellers Association, January 14th, 2010.
- ↑ Karen Schechner, "25 ABA Member Stores Open in 2010" (Press Release), American Booksellers Association, February 24, 2011.
- ↑ "ABA Annual Meeting Report", American Booksellers Association, June 5th, 2012
- ↑ "41 ABA Member Stores Open in 2011" (Press Release), American Booksellers Association, January 10th, 2012.
- ↑ "ABA President Michael Tucker Sends Important Update", Karen Schechner, American Booksellers Association, August 19th, 2010
- ↑ "ABA Annual Meeting Report", American Booksellers Association, May 30th, 2013
- ↑ "43* ABA Member Stores Open in 2012" (Press Release), American Booksellers Association, January 17th, 2013.
- ↑ "Annual Meeting Report", American Booksellers Association, May 30th, 2013
- ↑ "45 ABA Member Stores Open in 2013*" (Press Release), American Booksellers Association, February 19th, 2014.
- ↑ Liz Button, "59 ABA Member Stores Open in 2014, 29 Sold to New Owners*" (Press Release), American Booksellers Association, February 5th, 2015.
- ↑ "61 ABA Member Stores Open in 2015; 16 Sold to New Owners" (Press Release), American Booksellers Association, February 17th, 2016
- ↑ "BookSense.com Becomes ABA E-commerce Solution" (Press release). American Booksellers Association. 2008-06-04. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
External links
- American Booksellers Association website
- IndieBound.org website
- A program created and sponsored by ABA the Book and Author Luncheon, can be heard at The WNYC Archives. It ran from 1938 to 1974. (See also the Book and Author Luncheon.)